Olympus 35 LC (1967–1969)

Name: Olympus 35 LC
Brand: Olympus

The Olympus 35 LC is a 35mm rangefinder with a fixed lens, made by Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. from 1967 to 1969. It belongs to the era of big, fast-lens fixed-rangefinders like the Canonet QL17 and Yashica Electro 35. It was the simpler sibling of the Olympus 35 SP: same body concept, but without the SP's advanced electronics. It's not auto-anything. You set everything yourself, aided by a CdS light meter.

The standout feature is the lens, a fixed 42mm f/1.7 Zuiko. Multiple owners have called it out as genuinely excellent. One Flickr user described it as "very impressive. Very sharp and nice contrast," and it's the same optical formula Olympus also used on the 35 SP and 35 UC. Shutter speeds run from 1 sec to 1/500 sec plus B. The camera is somewhat large compared to the later Olympus 35 RC,

The LC's CdS meter depends on the battery, and this is where the one known quirk lives. The meter was originally designed for mercury battery voltage, and modern alkaline replacements (like the V625U) can cause meter reading deviations. A German-language repair forum thread documents one owner's experience with exactly this problem. The meter initially didn't work at all, and cleaning the battery chamber contacts with a microfiber cloth brought it back to life. The same thread notes that mercury battery fumes can corrode internal wiring, so if you find one, check the battery compartment before anything else. A Schottky diode conversion to run on silver oxide batteries is a known fix for the voltage mismatch.

One more physical quirk: the bottom plate is held on by two small screws, and the tripod socket piece can come loose and fall off when you remove it. Not a big deal.

The record on this model is thin. No original price, no dimensions, no viewfinder specs, no minimum focus distance. None of that survives in the usual sources. Owner reports say the 35 LC is a well-built, mechanically simple rangefinder with a lovely lens, and it's been spotted on the used market in the $45 - $50 range. Flickr user reports (various, 2010s) consistently praise the lens performance and overall build.